Revelation 21:1-8
Notes
Transcript
Handout
“New Heaven and New Earth: Discovering Hope and Renewal in Revelation 21:1-8”
“New Heaven and New Earth: Discovering Hope and Renewal in Revelation 21:1-8”
INTRO
Have you ever been in a brand new car?
Have you ever had brand new carpet put in?
Have you ever been to a lumber yard?… fresh milled lumber?
Have you ever smelled a freshly washed baby?
Have you ever put on a brand new pair of socks?
brand new chair, couch, bed, shirt!!
PRAYER
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MESSAGE
The Promise of A New Creation
The Promise of A New Creation
Rev 21.1
1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
Because God is promising us a new creation we can look forward to …
the majesty of a new earth.
Isaiah 65:17 “17 “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.”
Isaiah 11:6 “6 The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them.”
Quote: John Piper - “The new earth will be a place of breathtaking beauty, beyond our wildest imaginations.”
Quote: John Piper - “The new creation is not merely a restoration of the old but a transformation into something far more glorious.”
the glory of your new body.
1 Corinthians 15:52–53 “52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.”
Philippians 3:20–21 “20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”
Quote: C.S. Lewis - “We are made for a world beyond this one, where our bodies will reflect the glory of our Creator.”
Quote: Randy Alcorn - “Our new bodies will be as different from our current ones as a plant is from a seed.”
the wonder of a new heaven.
2 Peter 3:10–13 “10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. 11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”
Romans 8:18–22 “18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.”
Quote: Charles Spurgeon - “Heaven is not a place where we go to escape; it is a place where we go to become who we were meant to be.”
The Promise of God’s Personal Presence
The Promise of God’s Personal Presence
Rev 21.2-3
2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.
Because God is promising us His personal presence we are guaranteed to …
experiencing the love of God.
John 3:16 “16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
Romans 5:5 “5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
Quote: A.W. Tozer - “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”
experiencing life with God.
John 1:14 “14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
John 15:4 “4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.”
John 10:10 “… I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
1 Corinthians 13:12 “12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.”
Quote: Henry Blackaby - “God is inviting you to experience Him in a personal relationship.”
experiencing the leadership of God.
Psalm 23:1 “1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
Quote: Charles Stanley - “When you trust God’s leadership, you find peace in every circumstance.”
Isaiah 54:5–6 “5 For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called. 6 For the Lord has called you like a wife deserted and grieved in spirit, like a wife of youth when she is cast off, says your God.”
The Promise of The End of Sorrow
The Promise of The End of Sorrow
Rev 21.4
4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
Because God is promising an end of sorrow we can find hope in …
His comfort in times of grief.
2 Corinthians 1:3–4 “3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”
Isaiah 65:19 “19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people; no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress.”
Quote: Tim Chester - “God’s presence transforms our experience of sorrow into hope.”
Quote: Max Lucado - “God is with you in your sorrow; He walks beside you, holding your hand.”
the restoration of relationships.
Matthew 5:4 “4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
Quote: Timothy Keller - “Forgiveness is not just a change of heart, but a change of relationship.”
the freedom in offering forgiveness.
Ephesians 4:32 “32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
Matthew 6:12–15 “12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
Quote: Corrie ten Boom - “Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart.”
The Promise of A Forever Family
The Promise of A Forever Family
Rev 21.7
7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.
Because we are part of a forever family we can expect …
an inheritance as children of God.
Galatians 4:6–7 “6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.”
1 John 3:2 “2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.”
Romans 8:17 “17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”
1 Peter 1:4 “4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,”
the unity of the fellowship of the saints.
Ephesians 4:3 “3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
Philippians 2:2 “2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.”
Quote: Dietrich Bonhoeffer - “The church is the fellowship of the forgiven.”
Quote: Dietrich Bonhoeffer - “The church is the church only when it exists for others.”
the satisfaction of eternal relationships.
Genesis 17:7 “7 And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.”
1 Thessalonians 4:17 “17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.”
Quote: C.S. Lewis - “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.”
Quote: N.T. Wright - “In the new creation, relationships will be deeper and richer than we can imagine.”
Quote: N.T. Wright - “In the new creation, there will be no isolation, only community.”
CLOSE
The Promise of A Promise
The Promise of A Promise
5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.
The Promise of A New Creation
The Promise of God’s Personal Presence
The Promise of The End of Sorrow
The Promise of A Forever Family
PRAYER
GROUP QUESTIONS
Do you think it is possible to be “so heavenly minded” that we become “no earthly good”? What is the real problem with people who are accused of this?
Compare the first few chapters of Genesis and the last few chapters of Revelation. What strikes you about the parallels and differences?
What is significant about there being “no sea” in the new heavens and the new earth? How does this give you hope in this life?
Why is it significant that Christ’s bride is both a place and a people?
How should the continuity between this world and the new creation affect the way we relate to this creation?
How do you practice communion with God now? How will communion with God in eternity be similar and different?
Reflect on the various ways you have seen the brokenness of this fallen world. Now read Revelation 21:4 and consider how God will set all things right.
Which of the promises of God in Revelation 21–22 do you most long for? Why?
Which of the characteristics in Revelation 21:8 is the most applicable warning for you, and how can you heed this warning today?
What is one thing about your life or ministry that can be changed to be more “heavenly minded” to be more effective for “earthly good”?
